New Land
by Luminara
Summary: What is it like to be the new girl, not only in school, but on the planet?


Title: New Land  
Author: Emily/Luminara  
Rating: G  
Spoilers: Singularity.  
Summary: Cassandra's first day of school on her new world.  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of them. And if I said I did, you wouldn't believe me anymore than you'd believe the lady down on 7th Street who talks about the devils who live in her hair. So no harm done.  
Notes: I am desperately in need of a new beta. So constructive criticism is not only accepted, but begged for. Work in Progress.  
Cassandra nervously stood at the front of the classroom. She didn't like the way everyone looked at her. She didn't like anyone to look at her. She didn't want to stand out. To be alone. She just wanted to blend in. She tried to shrink back, but the teacher, a perky blonde who she was supposed to call Miss Marshall, wouldn't let her. She gently put a hand on Cassandra's shoulder and kept her standing there, as if she was afraid that Cassandra would run away.   
  
She wasn't planning on running away. She was currently engrossed in trying to burrow into the ground. Or possibly restart that thing in her stomach. It almost seemed like a better option than trying to fit in with these people. The universe didn't seem like it was going to grant her wish, so she focused back on the class. Larger than the study groups back home. And in her group back home, it had been all girls. She wasn't too sure she wanted to deal with boys. Actually, she was certain she didn't want to, but apparently she didn't have a choice.  
  
"Class, we have a new student who will be joining us. Her name is Cassandra Fraiser and she just moved here from Toronto." Cassandra thought that she should probably smile, or make some acknowledgement of the staring students so she smiled. Probably a very weak attempt, but it was all she could manage. "Cassandra, is there anything that you would like us to know about you?" Like what? That I'm from another planet? That I almost destroyed a great chunk of this one? That I have nightmares about a woman whose eyes glow? "What do you do for fun?" Oh, that kind of thing,   
  
She wracked her brain for something that she could say. "I like to read." She didn't think she could explain that her favourite activity at home had been raising her pet ashak, an animal which Dr. Fraiser, no, her 'mom', had informed her had no equivalent on this planet, but she could call it a goat... whatever that was.  
  
"Oh, that's wonderful! We love it when children like to read. Maybe you'd be interested in joining our reading club?" Cassandra nodded, a bit daunted by the woman's cheerfulness, "Great! What kind of books do you like?"  
  
Books about her planet before it was wiped out by the plague so that someone would know what had happened and be able to tell about it. No. Not an appropriate response. "History books."  
  
"Ahh! well, I am sure you will enjoy our history class then. We're currently learning the capitals of the states." Cassandra couldn't be sure about it, but Miss Marshall seemed a bit put off by her quietness. But that was okay, because Cassandra was a bit put off by Miss Marshall as well. She just wanted to sit down.   
  
"Why don't we get you a seat. I believe the one next to Kim Silar is free." she gestured towards an empty chair next to a girl with strawberry blonde hair who was nodding. Cassandra walked over to the desk and gratefully sat down. 'Kim, will you help Cassandra with anything she needs. She may be behind in some of our subjects."  
  
"Sure!" the girl named Kim agreed as she smiled at Cassandra.   
  
The rest of the class went well. They mostly were reading about something called the American Revolution. Cassandra was still catching up on learning the written version of English, but it seemed interesting enough. Even if she couldn't figure out why it was such a big deal. When the class ended, all of the other kids threw everything into their bags and left the classroom. Cassandra was completely at a loss of what to do, so she started putting her book and notebook in her bag and hoped that there would be some clue what to do once she left the class. She stood up and made her way to the door, only to be intercepted by the girl whom she had been seated next to.   
  
"Hi, Miss Marshall asked me to help you find your way around. We have lunch next. Come on, or we're not going to get seats." Kim stood waiting for her, smiling welcomingly. Cassandra smiled back tentatively.  
  
She followed Kim out the door into what seemed like an unpassable swarm of students. Looking back, Kim must have noticed Cassandra's discomfort because she grabbed her arm and steered her through the halls, ending up in a big room full of tables and the smell of... the mess hall at the Stargate Command. Cassandra was suddenly glad that her mom insisted that she not eat anything that had not been tested and matched against her own - possibly alien - physiology.   
  
"Are you packing or buying?" Kim asked as she headed towards the end of a long line of students. This question befuddled Cassandra. While she was beginning to catch on to some colloquial phrases in English, this was one she hadn't heard of... Well, she had heard 'packing' from Jack, but somehow she didn't think Kim was referring to heavy weaponry.  
  
"I mean, did you bring your lunch, or are you buying it from the cafeteria?"  
  
Ah. That made more sense. "I brought food."  
  
"Oh, good! Me too. Why don't you go sit next to Jessie while I go get a cup of water." Kim pointed at a girl with black hair and tan skin sitting at a nearby table. "Don't worry, she doesn't bite."  
  
Giving Kim's retreating back a doubtful look, Cassandra walked over to the table. "Hi, I'm Cassandra. Kim said..."  
  
The girl cut her off before she managed to say anything else, "If Kim sent you over, you're fine by me. Welcome to the air force brats table." she patted the table in front of an empty chair next to her.  
  
"Thank you." Cassandra said quietly. "What's an 'air force brat'? I've never heard the term." she sat down and pulled a brown paper bag out of her bookbag.   
  
"Oh, that's what we call ourselves because our parents are all in the air force and work at Cheyenne Mountain." Cassandra looked up in surprise. Cheyenne Mountain? She knew that name. That's where the Stargate was. And where Dr. Fraiser worked.  
  
"Oh, then I probably belong here. My mom is Dr. Fraiser. The chief medical officer there."  
  
"Oh, cool! my dad works there too. But I don't know what he does. It's classified. He's Captain Feretti." Cassandra had met him, he had had a sprained ankle while she was in the infirmary. But she figured she couldn't say that. So she just smiled.  
  
"Ah, talking about parents' jobs?" Kim asked as she swooped down to the table. Swooped was the only way that it could be described, as she very much did resemble a large bird of prey taking its perch. "Well, my dad is Silar. He's a technician. And oh how I'd like to see what he works on. It has to be interesting because he works a lot and always looks forward to going back to work. And he gets hurt a lot. He wouldn't do it if it weren't a good job. But, you know, classified. She shrugged and shared rolled eyes with Jessie.  
  
Cassandra did know about things being classified. She practically was herself. She just nodded and muttered a general agreement with the girls.  
  
"So, where are you really from? You don't have a Canadian accent. And Dr. Fraiser has been at Cheyenne Mountain for two years." Kim casually asked, as she bit into her sandwich.  
  
"Umm." Cassandra was at a loss for words. She didn't really know enough about this world to make up a background story. But she did know something about her new mother. "Well, Mom and Dad are divorced..."  
  
Comprehension dawned on both of their faces. "Ah. So it's your mom's turn now?"  
  
Cassie didn't know exactly what that phrase meant, but it sounded right. "Yeah. I'll be living here now."  
  
"Cool. My mom and dad are divorced too, but my dad is remarried and my stepmom is more of a mom than my mom ever was." Jessie commented, "So, are you excited about living with your mom, or would you rather be back with your dad?" Kim elbowed her. "Oops. I'm being nosy again, aren't I." she added with a laugh.  
  
"No, it's okay." Cassandra reassured her, "I'm glad to be living with my mom. It's very much different than where I used to live and it should be interesting."  
  
"That's cool." Kim responded, "Hey, Jessie and Keith are coming over to my house after school. Do you want to come?"   
  
Cassandra gave Kim a big smile. "I'll ask my mom." But she knew Dr. Fraiser would be happy that she was making friends and that she wouldn't have a problem getting permission. She bit into a carrot stick and thought that this world was starting to look brighter. 


End file.
